The Virtue of Generosity
Quote: "Generosity is a good thing to have for we are all travelers together on this earth." Summary: So the story of generosity is a story of two of the greatest hunters in their tribe. It is a harsh winter and they are trying to find food, but all they can find is old dead deer. So they keep hunting for food to feed to their tribe. But then while they are carrying one of the deer back they meet a wolf. The wolf talks about how his leg is injured and he cannot capture food for his family. Sees the Bear gives the wolf some meat, while Left-Hand did not want to. The wolf said he was grateful and left. Left-Hand was mad at Sees the Bear and they continued walking. Then a hawk appears and he talks about how his wing is injured and that he can't capture his pray. So then once again Sees the Bear gives the hawk some food while Left-Hand did not. The hawk talked about how he was grateful and left. As they were traveling back home and big white deer comes out of the forest. The deer talks about his grateful and that all he asks is that every time they killed a deer they pray for the food they have received. Sees the Bear agreed to this but Left-Hand did not. Later on in the story Sees the Bear is renamed to Brings the Deer he also lives then a happily life with a wife and children. Left-Hand has a hard life he gets almost killed by a bear and almost starves to death. Then Left-Hand goes up to one of the elders and asks why he is having such a hard life. The elder replies with "Greed, you need to be generous." So man was about to die so before death he gave away all of his items his furniture, his cart, his horses , even the clothes on his back. The man died knowing that instead of dying a man with many possessions and bad reputation he died as a man with no possessions but a very good reputation and lots of friends. This demonstrates "Generosity" because it talks about how being generous comes with alot of rewards and good reputation and can get you friends. Also that if you don't your life will be hard and not many people will remember you as a nice person. Significance: So how is generosity important in Lakota culture? Well its important because, it shows that you are nice enough to give away your items to people who need them or want them. It also shows that you aren't greedy or horde everything. It also shows that you are willing to give back what you have gotten. This is demonstrated in Lakota culture through giveaways, giveaways are usually done at parties where the host gives gifts to the people who come to show appreciation. The story in the book talks about a hunters giving food that they need and giving it to animals that are in need of it and a hunter who does not. The generous hunter lives a happy and joyful life while the other doesn't and has a hard life and almost dies. How American Culture demonstrates this: In American Culture giving presents to a person on their birthday is generosity. Also in American Culture generosity is demonstrated by giving money to people or making them cookies and etc. There is not many other things that demonstrate generosity in American Culture.